Josh and Col
by DarkFool
Summary: This takes place after the events in the game Sacred Stones. Joshua and Colm go on an adventure to stop a rising power to the north.


How would one describe Colm and Joshua? There are many charectaristic words that would suit them, but none that would match them perfectly. Virtually nothing is known about the past of one of them, and the other one can't escape his past. They are two are polar opposites; one is cold-hearted and callous, while the other is inviting, despite his outward apperance of being hardened and deadly. Maybe the only thing that can trually describe them is their story together, the story which came after the Wrar of the Stones. Eirika and Ephrime had been riding with their company, seeing them off at their home villages and kingdoms. Colm had gone on ahead to his village without staying with the company. He had no friends there, so traveling with them would have been pointless. He was at his village for a good week when they finally did pass through. He watched them pass by, without even stopping to say their farwells and thanks to colm for all his help. He watched from his home as they passed by, Ross talking with his father, Joshua and Gerik in deep conversion, and Colman and Hannah flirting while leading their wyverns and peaguses by ropes. Colm didn't mind them not remembering him. He only traveled with them to gain riches anyways, and now that he had his payment, he could care less about any of those passing through the town. Colm had even been the last one to Deliver the final blow to the Demon King, but not one had thanked him or even aknoladged him. They were to busy gloating in their own victory to notice anyone else. Colm turned away from the window, and went to look through the treasures he had claimed on the quest. He had many blue and red gems, a few rare weapons, and piles and piles of gold, at least, enough to ensure his retirement. He was gathering up the weapons that he had taken from the armory before he left to take them to a shop and sell them. Most of them were extra unused killing blades that were kept on-hand for Joushua's and his use. They were the ones who most effectively used them, almost always killing an enemy in one blow while using the razor shrap blade. As matter of fact, him and Joshua were the ones who were sent into battle first, not because they were the strongest, but also the fastest, and Enemys could never touch them. Even the Demon King had a hard time getting hold of them, while he easly could have ripped arpart every one else. The battles weren't a stuggle for those two, but more like a competition. They would fight as feircely and quickly as possible, to see who could reach the enemy commander first. While the agreement was never said outloud, the winner would always buy the drinks at a bar that night. They never spoke while drinking, to each anyways. Joshua would always be tring to pick up loose women, or get someone to gamble with him, and colm would listen to traveler's tales about rare treasures they knew of. Neither would ever get what they were looking for at the bar, except free drinks from the loser from the battle that day. Colm was thinking about the battles he had been in, and the blood he had shed. If there was one thing he had gained from thee War of the Stones, it wasn't friendship, or memories, but streangth, and that was the one thing Colm thought was important. He was just about ready to turn in for bed when there was a knock at the door. When he opened it, Joshua was standing there with a pouch of gold in his hand. Colm looked from it to his face.

"Come on, Colm," Joshua said, "I'm buying." Colm didn't need to ask why. He was sure that Joshua was the only one to notice who had finally killed the Demon King. He knew that Joshua was jealous it wasn't him who killed the demo, but he also knew it didn't make Colm a better fighter, because Joshua was busy healing Gerik when Colm had delivered the final blow.

"Princes shouldn't be drinking in bars and hooking up with young girls, Joshua." Colm said on their way to the bar.

"Agh, don't remind me about that. You know I don't wish to be prince, or king yet. Lets just go have a drink and forget about all of that." Colm nodded and countined to walk silently, until they reached the bar. Joshua paid for twenty rounds to begin with while Colm found a seat in a back corner. He knew if they sat at the bar, they would have attention drwan to them, because Joshua would have surely been reconized, as either the prince of Jehrime, or as the wourld famous swordsman that won many battles at coulusseums across the country. It wasn't that he didn't want anyone to see him, its just that he was sure that Joshua had something to talk to him about, and it would be best if unwanted ears caught part of the conversasion. Joshua soon arived with the drinks, and sat down with a small smile on his face. Colm wasn't sure why, or how it was possible after everything that had happened to him, but Joshua was always smiling. He guessed it was because how everyone seemed to like him, and wanted to be with him. Joshua always seemed to be kind about everything. Even when when Joshua avenged his mother by slaying her killer, his words before to the killer were asking him not to hold it against him, but he was going to have to kill him.

Colm shook his head at this thought, and looked down at the drink he had earned. I wounder if had had been there fighting next to me, if he would have killed the Demon King. Colm thought to himself. It was almost impossible to tell. As a matter of fact, Colm and Joshua would taly up the deaths each day, and the total at the end of the avdenture was 357 to 356, Colm being the latter. It turns out that whoever would have killed the Demon King would have came out on top. It killed Com to relize that it might be a long time unitl they found out who was better. In a way, Colm wanted to fight Joshua, just to see who was better. Most people who fought to see who was stronger would stop before anyone died, but Colm knew if they ever fought, one of them would die. He liked the idea of fighting, and he even liked the idea of watching the expresion he would see in joshuas eyes as he died. He didn't want joshua dead, but through his battles he would watch his victims eyes as they died, and what those eyes would show him would tell him about the person, and would be something no one else would ever see; that persons death would be his to claim, and in a way, so would their soul. It was like a drug for him. He looked forward to killing the demon king for a long time, but when he killed him, he was torn. The expression in his eyes was that of many before him. The look of fear to die. The Demon king had been just like in his followers in the end. A damn corward afraid of death. Colm had seen death so many times, he was no longer afraid of it. He was even earger to see what his eyes would show when his own end came, but there was one thing he more eager to see, the eyes of a dying man who is not afraid to die. He looked over at Joshua, who still had a smile on his face, from what Colm did not know, but Colm did know that he was a man not afraid of death.


End file.
